Ali Shari'ati: Difference between revisions

'Ali Shari'ati had different approaches toward clergymen, sometimes he opposed them fiercely and sometimes he got along with them. Some researchers believe Shari'ati's disagreements with clergymen was not a matter of sentiments or class and opposing Islam or Shi'ism but it was a matter of believing in revolutionary Islam. In his book "''Ba Mokhatabhaye Ashna''" (With Familiar Addressees) which contains his letters to different people, he talked about Islam without clergymen; he also said with the death of clergymen, Islam would surely continue its existence. In his book, Khosrow Panah said Shari'ati's attitude toward clergymen was due to anti-clergymen approach of Furqan group and terrorizing clergymen figures including Morteza Motahhari and [[Muhammad Mufattih]].

Shari'ati believed throughout history Shi'ite scholars unlike [[Sunni]] scholars, were living among people and they refrain from achieving power. But in Safavid era, they were in governmental positions and changed the Shi'ism which was always against the current situation into a Shi'ism approving the current situation. 'Ali Shari'ati criticized clergymen for emphasizing too much on Philosophy, [[Kalam]], [[Fiqh]] and [[Usul]] while the talents in seminaries should also focus on the tasks of having discussions with people, conveying the truths and knowledge about religious facts, lifestyle of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] and the event of [[Karbala]] which were given to those without any talent to become [[mujtahid]].

Shari'ati stated in his book that his opposition with clergymen is actually opposing exercising [[Taqiyya]] in facing the rulers and behaving duplicitously with people. Although he praised [[Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi]], [[Mirza Shirazi]], [[Sayyid Hasan Mudarris]], [[Mirza Kuchak Khan]], [[Muhammad Khiyabani]], [[Sayyid Mahmud Taliqani]] and [[Ayatullah Khomeini]], he believed they were not originated from the common existing spirit in [[seminaries]].

Rasul Ja'fariyan stated that Shari'ati's attitude toward Shi'ite clergymen was derived from his belief on the two concepts of Alavi Shi'ism and Safavi Shi'ism. He added as Shari'ati persistently believed in these two concepts, he became pessimist about clergymen. Although Shari'ati praised [[Ayatullah Burujirdi]] and Imam Khomeini, he also condemned [['Allama al-Majlisi]] and [[Ayatullah Milani]] and he also criticized them sharply; in a number of sources Shari'ati accepted that he criticized them roundly.